This very interesting prefab home was designed specifically for the Baan Lae Suan Fair, a home and garden expo in Bangkok, Thailand. The theme for the 2008 fair was ‘Green Home Effects’ — and the main attraction of the show was this prefab container home by Bangkok-based firms, Site-Specific and Buatalah Studios. The model home is made from four re-used shipping containers and prefabricated modules. The prototype is an attempt to re-wire the methodology behind building a comfortable and sustainably-built home while meeting the needs of a Thai family.

As the designer puts it, “To build an earth-friendly house is not as simple as placing some solar panels on your roof.” And this design goes far beyond using just green materials and solar panels. The design re-thinks the traditional Thai house around “4Rs” – reduce, reuse, recycle and renewable. The designers sought to incorporate all facets of a Thai family’s life and make it greener – from waste and water to transportation and physical living space. The home even considers how a “greener” Thai family might grow their food. Clearly, this is not only a house design, but a home and lifestyle makeover.

Roughly 1,000 sq ft, this two-bedroom home is designed for three, the emerging number for an average Thai family. The interior is decorated with bright colors and constructed of natural materials — making its appearance similar to a contemporary US apartment. Kitchen cabinets and living spaces take advantage of available space with built-in cabinets and furniture.

The exterior texture feels rough, due to the nature of the shipping containers used for its structure — but certainly still interesting architecturally. The home also includes a greywater system, lots of windows for natural daylight, and even sun protection with screens and shades.

The home’s design smartly integrates a plot of land to the side of the house, which would enable the family to grow their own food. The landscaping around the home seems to draw the field in as if it were a garden. With many innovative features, Site-Specific’s prefab model home is intended to be an exemplify that alternative construction methods are feasible to other Thai builders. The designers are now in the process of developing a prefabricated construction system.

CURRENT USERS LOGIN

2 Comments

Hi Bridgette Meinhold, thanks for sharing, the concept of “4Rs”– reduce, reuse, recycle and renewable is great for everyone who was looking for renovating ex-house or new house. In Thailand, the prefab modular style building is seem to be new-concept of thai people that there are not used to about it.

However, if the prototype has met the needs and lifestyle of Thai family, prefab modular is quite interesting.